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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. capital — money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — in an idiom

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