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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: press · can · last · rock · face · roll · wound · pound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wound — an injury
  3. last — finally
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. press — a publisher
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. roll — a list
  20. face — to confront
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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