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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — government
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — in control
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — a position
  24. rule — a law

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