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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — a box
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. press — to push

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