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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 116 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: season · nail · rush · press · face · bowl · stem · hide

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. press — newspapers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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