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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — ground
  5. press — to push
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — to come down
  10. content — the amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — happy
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. land — a country

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