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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. craft — boats
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. chip — to eat
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. craft — a skill

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