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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a word
  11. last — finally
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — the cause
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — letters
  23. press — to push
  24. last — final

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