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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: face · press · current · fan · bear · fall · leaves · cell

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — to push
  10. current — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — electric
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fall — the season
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — to point toward

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