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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: stand · race · face · bank · dip · press

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — to confront
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — to push
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — to bear
  13. race — humankind
  14. press — newspapers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — for spectators

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