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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — of a river

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