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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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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: last · lie · mug · chest · press · stick · mate · club

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — to breed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. club — for golf
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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