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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — in sport
  18. press — to push
  19. toast — bread
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — after costs
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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