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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — soda
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — part of the head
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — music
  20. rest — a break
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — the cause
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — to drop

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