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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lie — to recline
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — decided
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — steady
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  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