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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: lie · press · fork · mark · saw · cabinet · squash · ruler

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fork — in a road
  12. press — a publisher
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. press — newspapers

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