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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — help
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — a country
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — to come down
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — ground

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