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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — of water
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — in control
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — soda
  22. press — to push
  23. face — part of the head
  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