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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — a path
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — newspapers
  14. face — to confront
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — of water
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — to point toward

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