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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — to push
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — to keep track
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — a series
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a song
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — a match

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