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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. drill — a practice
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — a break
  5. snap — to click
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — a publisher
  10. drill — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — the fish
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — army training

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