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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — to keep track
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of a king
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mine — for digging

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