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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · wound · press · cap · sharp · lie

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — of ice
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — a lid

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