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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — a publisher

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