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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mug — to rob
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — a line
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — a cup
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mug — a face

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