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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — a publisher
  4. content — happy
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — to push
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. content — the amount
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — a jug

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