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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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 — newspapers
  2. shower — rain
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — to wash
  5. face — part of the head
  6. roll — a list
  7. fine — all right
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — to push
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — a city
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — money
  17. degree — temperature
  18. roll — a cake
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. face — to confront
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — high quality

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