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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rule — a law
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — newspapers

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