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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — steady
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — an explosive

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