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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cold — not warm
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — to eat

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