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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — to push
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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