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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. capital — a city
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lie — to recline
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. date — the fruit
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a ring
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. date — on the calendar

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