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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: lie · kick · last · fine · rush · mine · press · cue

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — to go on
  3. kick — in football
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. last — final
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — a publisher

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