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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — to push
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — a signal

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