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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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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: mine · deal · fork · lie · rule · press · present · bowl

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — government
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — a gift
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — the time now
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — there
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — to push

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