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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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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 · clip · wave · face · cabinet · bowl · lie · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. court — of law
  11. clip — a video
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to confront
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — part of the head
  24. clip — to cut

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