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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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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: last · pitcher · lie · press · can · deal · leaves · rush

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. press — to push
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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