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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fall — the season
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — of a word

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