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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — the time now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — a publisher
  11. present — a gift
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — in control
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — there
  22. charge — electricity
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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