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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 120 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to sink
  20. press — to push
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — an untruth
  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