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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — newspapers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — a price
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. press — to push
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. tear — to rip
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — in sport

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