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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. drill — a practice
  8. land — a country
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mug — a face
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — for catching
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. land — to come down

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