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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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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: tear · wave · mine · mouse · safe · lie · bowl · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — for digging
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. press — to push
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  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