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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — to push
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — a series
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cold — not warm
  15. chip — for betting
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lie — an untruth

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