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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — electricity
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. firm — decided
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — to push
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — a publisher
  17. field — for sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — newspapers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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