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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: plane · degree · face · bound · chair · lash · press · cap

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — certain
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — tied together
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chair — a leader
  21. degree — from a university
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bound — obliged
  24. face — to confront

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