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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. press — to push
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — to grow
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — in sport
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — after costs

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