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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — a coil
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — of water
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — in cards

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