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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bat — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. press — to push
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — government

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