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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — to push
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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