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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · press · stock · mate · wound · hide · lie · lean

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. game — a match
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — thin
  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