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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — a publisher
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — bread
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. press — to push

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