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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — a cup
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to point toward
  20. court — of a king
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — part of the head

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