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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a document
  3. press — newspapers
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — to recline
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — a group
  24. lie — an untruth

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