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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — of water
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — to get on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — final
  22. press — to push
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — a committee

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