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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cold — not warm
  6. suit — in cards
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. sharp — clever
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fall — the season

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