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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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 confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — newspapers
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — a gift
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — there
  14. dip — to sink
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lean — thin
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — of the year
  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