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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: face · press · march · lie · fall · last · patient · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — to push
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — the season
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — a publisher
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — final
  16. march — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — to go on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — to recline
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — an untruth

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