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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — to push
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to confront
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rush — hurry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. press — newspapers
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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