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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — of your body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — to get on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — a committee
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chest — a box
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. face — to point toward

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