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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. face — to point toward
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lean — to bend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — to push
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — steady
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — there
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stock — shares
  23. firm — a company
  24. lean — to rest against

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