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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bass — low music
  4. pop — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to confront
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. press — to push
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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