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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. press — to push
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — a trace
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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