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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — a city
  5. file — a document
  6. press — newspapers
  7. file — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — decided
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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