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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: toast · face · trunk · content · press · land · net · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. press — a publisher
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to confront
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. land — a country
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. press — to push
  24. toast — bread

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