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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 120 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: season · press · face · pop · cue · wave · fan · swing

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pop — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. press — to push
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a signal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. swing — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — with your hand

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