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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of law
  24. dip — to dunk

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