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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
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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: game · press · file · net · suit · saw · face · calf

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — to confront
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. press — a publisher
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. file — a document
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — wild animals
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — a young animal

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