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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a leader
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — to be able to

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