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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. firm — steady
  14. mug — a face
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — all right
  22. face — to confront
  23. press — a publisher
  24. firm — a company

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