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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: lie · racket · press · shower · mark · game · face · staff

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mark — a grade
  5. press — a publisher
  6. shower — to wash
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lie — to recline
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — to push
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  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