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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: ball · wave · bat · lie · object · hand · mark · press

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a great time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — help
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. object — to protest
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — the animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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