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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. saw — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kid — child
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kid — to tease

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