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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: fine · dip · cell · land · lie · press · wax · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — a country
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cell — a phone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — to push
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. land — to come down
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — to grow
  20. land — ground
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fine — high quality

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