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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. clip — for paper
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — to recline
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lean — thin
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — to bend
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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