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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — there
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to confront
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — a gift

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