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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — goods
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. face — part of the head

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