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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: fork · net · press · charge · spell · wax · face · squash

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — in a road
  7. squash — to crush
  8. charge — a price
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — a short time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — in control
  14. press — to push
  15. charge — electricity
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spell — magic
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — newspapers
  24. net — after costs

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