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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. root — of a word
  7. press — to push
  8. cold — an illness
  9. race — humankind
  10. bank — of a river
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — a contest
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. press — newspapers

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