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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — letters
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — newspapers

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