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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — to push
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — decided
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — electricity
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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