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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — a series
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rash — hasty
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — to push
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — a supporter

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