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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — a publisher
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. court — of law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — humankind
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. race — the arms race

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