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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: foot · press · spell · patient · face · object · lean · pit

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — thin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — part of the head
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — to bend
  21. press — to push
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. object — to protest
  24. spell — magic

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