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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — a gift
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — a publisher
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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