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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — newspapers
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a committee
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — to get on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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