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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — to confront
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — final
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mug — a cup
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — newspapers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. leaves — to go away

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