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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — to recline
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — to push
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — to go on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — a measure
  13. last — finally
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — final
  23. pound — a weight
  24. foot — part of the body

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