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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — in football
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — to push
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. club — for dancing

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