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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
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: wave · mate · spring · face · lean · press · charge · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. charge — in control
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — the season
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — a coil
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — of water
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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