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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — in cards
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — in music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — electric
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — part of the head
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — a hole
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — help
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — for weighing

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