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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. press — to push
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. object — an aim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bank — of a river

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