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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a path
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — 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