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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pop — soda
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to confront
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. press — newspapers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. press — to push
  15. pop — to visit
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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