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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kick — in football

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