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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — a series
  12. mate — to breed
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — a big letter

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