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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. charge — a price
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — help
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — of water
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hand — in cards
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — electricity

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