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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cold — an illness
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cold — not warm
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. face — to confront

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