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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — a price
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — a line
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — decided
  22. snap — to click
  23. press — a publisher
  24. firm — a company

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