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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · key · face · press · staff · bear · march · tube

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. press — to push
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. face — to confront
  13. press — newspapers
  14. face — to point toward
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — the earth
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — the month

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