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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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