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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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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 · firm · temple · press · stem · fall · racket · plane

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — to push
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — a company
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — a tool

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