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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: face · land · spell · cap · drill · stand · press · key

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. key — in music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — a hat
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spell — magic
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stand — on your feet

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