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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a path
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — to push
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — money
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a city
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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