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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. season — of the year
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — in cards
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — certain

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