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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — to push
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — a thrill

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