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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · deal · bay · bat · face · rule · press · lie

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bat — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — government
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — to handle
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — there
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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