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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · press · cabinet · net · spell · mark · face · march

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — letters
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. march — the month

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