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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. press — newspapers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — the cause
  15. row — a line
  16. last — final
  17. root — of a word
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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