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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: bank · press · kick · face · game · suit · date · ruler

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — in cards
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. bank — of a river
  12. suit — clothes
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. face — to confront
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. game — a match
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — for money

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