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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. press — newspapers
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. kid — child
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. current — happening now
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — electric
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — of water
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — to push

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