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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — steady
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. firm — a company
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — newspapers
  23. firm — decided
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com