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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: bear · hand · saw · content · season · press · face · bowl

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — to confront
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — happy

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