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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.

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: date · press · lie · deal · roll · chest · mouse · pitcher

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — a big deal

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