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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rock — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — to push
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — help
  21. chair — a leader
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stem — a stem cell

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