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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — in a race
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ruler — for measuring

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