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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — in sport
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — for catching
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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