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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 120 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
468
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: press · stick · cabinet · face · last · rash · march · bat

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. bat — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. face — to point toward
  9. last — to go on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. last — finally
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. march — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. march — the month
  20. last — final
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — on the skin

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