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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: pit · press · face · bay · rock · season · mate · hand

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mate — to breed

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