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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — thin
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. hand — in cards
  22. last — final
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — to bend

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