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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pit — in a race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — to push
  22. game — wild animals
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a match

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