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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: stand · date · file · deal · face · shower · stick · press

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. file — a document
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. shower — rain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a line of people
  23. shower — to wash
  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