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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — to wash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — to push
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. land — a country

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