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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 124 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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a face
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — a publisher
  11. court — for sport
  12. press — to push
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — a tool
  24. court — of a king

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