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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: spell · face · wax · bank · straw · calf · pop · press

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. face — part of the head
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. wax — to grow

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