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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. face — to point toward
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — part of the head
  20. press — to push
  21. firm — steady
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rest — what's left

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