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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. press — to push
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — a lid
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. toast — bread
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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