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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a match
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — to push
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — a box
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — a series

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