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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · press · suit · jam · calf · wind · pit · mine

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — in a race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — a young animal

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