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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — a match
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — to push
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — a stick
  22. press — a publisher
  23. shower — rain
  24. press — newspapers

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