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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
468
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: press · squash · cabinet · stock · chip · bank · face · fork

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. face — to point toward
  24. squash — the sport

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