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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — boats
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. squash — to crush
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — to sit on

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