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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. press — to push
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. face — to confront
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — to crush
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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