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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. bass — low music
  12. press — to push
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — with your hand

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