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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — newspapers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. drill — a practice
  8. press — to push
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — a publisher
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. shower — to wash

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