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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a ring
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — to push
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — the season
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — for pool

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