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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: face · board · rush · cold · perch · press · saw · racket

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — a publisher
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — a committee
  14. cold — an illness
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cold — not warm

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