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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: press · face · cap · jam · wake · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cap — a lid
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — a tight spot

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