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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 · stick · lie · press · plane · staff · current · bass

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — to recline
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to confront
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — low music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — of water
  24. face — to point toward

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