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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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