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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · press · ball · mouse · hand · lie · fall · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fall — the season
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. press — to push
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mug — a face
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  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