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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — newspapers
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. press — a publisher
  17. snap — to click
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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