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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cap — a hat
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — the time now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — of ice
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — to push
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — a gift

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