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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 124 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — a tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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