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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — certain
  3. roll — a list
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — newspapers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stem — to come from
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bound — obliged

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