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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a face
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — thin
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mug — to rob
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lie — to recline

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