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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bound — certain
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — in music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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