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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. press — to push
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. last — finally
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. press — newspapers
  20. capital — a city
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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