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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. press — a publisher
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. row — a line
  8. mark — a grade
  9. press — to push
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cell — in biology
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — soda
  24. stock — a soup base

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