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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pit — a hole
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — a price
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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