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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. last — to go on
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a match
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — final
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — finally
  23. press — to push
  24. game — wild animals

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