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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · foot · rock · season · hide · stick · press · game

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. game — wild animals
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a match
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. foot — the bottom

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