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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. press — newspapers
  22. drill — a practice
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — with an edge

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