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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — soda
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — a country
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — ground
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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