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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 124 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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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: deal · bowl · press · dip · kid · lie · spring · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kid — to tease
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — to handle
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — newspapers
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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