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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 116 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: mouse · wound · press · cap · sharp · lie · firm · rock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — of ice
  4. firm — steady
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — to push
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — clever

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