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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — to push
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kick — in football
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — with a leg

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