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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — newspapers
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — to push
  5. fall — the season
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — part of the head
  22. land — a country
  23. scale — in music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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