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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: spring · hand · foot · press · face · bay · band · saw

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spring — a coil
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — of water
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hand — help
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. press — a publisher
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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