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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — to recline
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — happy
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — the animal

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