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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — to push
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — a publisher
  8. clip — for paper
  9. foot — a measure
  10. clip — to cut
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. clip — a video
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — a line
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fall — the season
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. foot — part of the body

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