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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a ring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — to fit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. face — part of the head
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cold — an illness
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — to push
  18. board — to get on
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — a publisher
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a committee
  24. march — the month

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