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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — of the year
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — to confront
  17. press — to push
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. date — on the calendar

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