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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — a division
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — a stone

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