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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.

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: cold · suit · fork · rash · ball · key · press · face

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — in music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ball — a dance
  22. face — to confront
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — in cards

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