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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chest — of your body
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to confront
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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