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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — to push
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — to eat
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — humankind
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. land — a country
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — ground
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bore — to drill

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