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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — to push
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — to recline

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