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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. race — a contest
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — a division
  11. mine — for digging
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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