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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 120 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
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: hand · press · pitch · face · temple · chest · pop · craft

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — boats
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — to confront
  24. hand — help

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