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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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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 · bass · foot · straw · pit · fan · bay · press

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. press — newspapers
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a hole
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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