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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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — to confront
  5. firm — decided
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — music
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — the fish
  18. firm — steady
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — to get on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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