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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — to go on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. last — finally
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — final
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — a tin

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