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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — a company
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — a measure
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. row — to paddle
  23. press — a publisher
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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