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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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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: press · lie · mouse · bowl · chest · ruler · face · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a music group
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — to push
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chest — a box
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. face — to point toward

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