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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.

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: roll · leaves · press · calf · wind · face · pitch · lie

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. face — part of the head
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. face — to confront
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. roll — a cake
  24. calf — of the leg

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