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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.

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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: chair · bay · press · perch · present · face · wax · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. press — to push

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