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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 124 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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rush — hurry
  4. press — to push
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. court — of law
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to confront
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — government
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — a law
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — part of the head

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