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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — to push
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — electric

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