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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bass — low music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — soda
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chest — a box
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — for paper
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — a video
  24. lie — an untruth

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