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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 116 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: chair · prune · face · mouse · court · pop · press · fall

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fall — the season
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pop — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — of a king
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pop — soda
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. prune — to trim

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