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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. swing — in golf
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — to push
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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