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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — certain
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — goods
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a cake
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — to push
  22. roll — a list
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — shares

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