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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fine — high quality
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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