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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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