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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — to play on
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — to bend

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