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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — for sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — a weight
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to confront
  14. spell — magic
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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