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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kid — child
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — to recline

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