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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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468
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. kid — child
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — the time now
  24. lie — to recline

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