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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: wound · lie · kick · hand · mouse · board · game · press

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — in football
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — help
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — a match
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a kind of play

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