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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. season — in sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — to push
  22. key — in music
  23. season — of the year
  24. kick — in football

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