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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pit — a hole
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. press — to push
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — a country
  18. bass — low music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. land — ground

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