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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: roll · rest · stand · clip · face · press · ruler · pitcher

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — for paper
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — a cake
  18. press — to push
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — a video
  22. roll — a list
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ruler — a monarch

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