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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.

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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: board · current · leaves · mine · bear · file · press · face

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — a publisher
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. press — to push
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — of water
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — part of the head
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — electric
  24. press — newspapers

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