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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — to wash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. shower — rain
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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