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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — of law
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — moving air

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