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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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Word bank
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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: cue · mine · toast · face · tear · hide · bear · press

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — to push
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. toast — bread
  24. cue — a hint

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