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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — a line
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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