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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. race — a contest
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. face — to confront
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — soda
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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