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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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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: object · press · face · pit · cue · bank · last · leaves

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — a hole
  3. object — an aim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. last — final
  10. face — to point toward
  11. press — to push
  12. cue — a hint
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — in a race
  16. face — part of the head
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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