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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wake — a trail
  21. face — part of the head
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to point toward

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