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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — to push
  5. net — in sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — after costs
  10. kid — child
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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