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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: racket · saw · face · capital · bear · press · hand · pass

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — money
  7. press — to push
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. face — to point toward

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