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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chair — a leader
  11. face — to point toward
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a ring
  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