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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. press — to push
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — to confront
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — humankind
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pass — a permit
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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