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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — to breed
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — part of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chest — a box
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  24. arm — part of the body

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