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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — the sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — a publisher
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — there
  11. bass — low music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — goods
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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