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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — to handle

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