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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — to push
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hand — help
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — there

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