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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — to push
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — newspapers
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — a publisher
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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