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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — help
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. press — to push
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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