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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: wave · rock · wake · ground · press · face · chair · temple

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. face — to confront
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. press — newspapers

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