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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — there
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — a gift
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — in sport
  10. press — to push
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — of a river

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