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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.

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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: press · sharp · chest · dip · mug · ground · rest · lie

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mug — a face
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chest — a box

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