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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: face · bowl · can · bear · press · straw · board · mark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. face — to point toward
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to confront
  11. press — to push
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a grade

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