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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: bear · face · press · race · toast · date · stand · pop

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — to confront
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — to bear
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. press — newspapers
  20. toast — bread
  21. pop — soda
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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