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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — a position
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — a country
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. capital — a city

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