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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 120 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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a line
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — to push
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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