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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
468
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 · lie · mouse · mug · bore · mate · bass · snap

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mug — to rob
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — low music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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