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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 · foot · fan · face · kick · net · plane · board

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — in football
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. foot — a measure
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — a committee
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. press — a publisher

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