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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. press — a publisher
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — in control
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — to confront
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — part of the head
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — to push
  24. vault — a safe

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