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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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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: leaves · band · spell · face · press · nail · bound · fine

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — magic
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — all right
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a music group
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — a short time

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