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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitch — completely
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — money
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — a city
  21. swing — in golf
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — child

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