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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rock · patient · press · mine · foot · craft · jam · face

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — a measure
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — part of the head
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mine — for digging
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — a sick person

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