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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
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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: bay · press · mark · rash · branch · ball · face · present

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — to confront
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — a series
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a dance
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. press — to push
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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