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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — to get on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — a partner
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ground — crushed
  20. shower — rain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — a committee

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