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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: mark · bear · roll · face · lie · spell · press · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — letters
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — part of the head
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. roll — a list
  24. mark — to pay attention

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