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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: court · press · face · band · wave · mark · squash · safe

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — to push
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — newspapers
  11. band — a ring
  12. court — of law
  13. band — a music group
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — a publisher
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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