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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — to push
  4. field — for sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — farmland
  7. rock — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. field — a subject
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — a law
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — government
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rock — to move gently

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