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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 120 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: foot · face · cell · root · perch · press · chair · ruler

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. press — to push
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cell — a phone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. foot — a measure

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