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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pop — soda
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — letters
  24. dip — to sink

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