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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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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: press · perch · firm · fan · face · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — to push
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — steady
  13. press — newspapers
  14. firm — a company
  15. rash — hasty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — to point toward

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