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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — a publisher
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — a price
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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