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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — a publisher
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — newspapers
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. track — a path
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — there
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. cold — an illness

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