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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: hand · fall · stick · foot · press · stem · face · staff

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — a stick
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — help
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to confront
  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