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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: march · press · lean · plane · face · suit · deal · fall

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. march — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — the month
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — part of the head
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — clothes
  24. plane — in geometry

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