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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — high quality
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to point toward
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to confront

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