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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — decided
  3. clip — a video
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — to push
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — finally

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