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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. face — to confront
  5. press — a publisher
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — to push
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — in cards
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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