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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.

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: saw · rash · drill · staff · date · mug · press · face

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — a practice
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — a face
  8. staff — a stick
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to confront
  11. press — a publisher
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rash — a series
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. face — to point toward

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