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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a ring
  6. court — for sport
  7. kick — in football
  8. court — of law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a music group
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. band — a rubber band

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