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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — part of the head
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — a publisher
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. drill — army training
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — to push
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — goods
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. face — to confront

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