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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. field — a subject
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. suit — in cards
  20. roll — a list
  21. field — farmland
  22. press — to push
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mug — a face

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