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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — money
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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