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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. press — to push
  11. face — part of the head
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. face — to confront
  17. fork — in a road
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — an aircraft

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