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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — to push
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — in 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