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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. row — a line
  3. face — to confront
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. press — newspapers
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — the fruit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a great time
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — to sink
  22. press — to push
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

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