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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. file — a document
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of a king

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