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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
468
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: rock · can · face · bore · press · kid · root · date

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. face — to point toward
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — to push
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to tire
  20. root — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — to drill
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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