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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to confront
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — a container
  15. press — to push
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — low music
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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