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

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. craft — boats
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cell — a phone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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