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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. content — happy
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — boats
  13. pass — a permit
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — a box
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — to point toward
  20. content — the amount
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pass — to succeed

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