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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — to point toward
  9. press — newspapers
  10. branch — a division
  11. club — a group
  12. can — to be able to
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. object — a thing
  18. press — to push
  19. object — an aim
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — to protest

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