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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — to push
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — a tin

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