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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rule — government
  5. cold — an illness
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — to confront
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a song
  16. press — to push
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — part of the head
  23. suit — clothes
  24. face — to point toward

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