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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 124 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: fall · mate · hand · press · face · lie · safe · bat

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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 — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fall — the season
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hand — part of the body
  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