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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — tied together
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. sharp — clever
  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