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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a great time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — a stick

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