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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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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 · press · bear · face · root · cold · cap · key

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — the cause
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. key — in music
  16. face — to confront
  17. cold — not warm
  18. press — a publisher
  19. root — of a word
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. face — part of the head

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