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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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Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. present — the time now
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. clip — a video
  17. snap — to click
  18. present — there
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. clip — for paper

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