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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
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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: ball · face · board · wound · press · wind · mark · wake

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — to push
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wound — an injury

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