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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — the cause
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. root — of a word
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — magic
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — to recline
  24. press — a publisher

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