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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.

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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: bear · file · wound · press · toast · face · stem · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. file — a document
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a line of people
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  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