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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 124 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. press — to push
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — crushed

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