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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — newspapers
  3. object — an aim
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — for digging
  6. file — a document
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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