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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: game · cue · land · perch · press · nail · charge · face

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — ground
  13. game — wild animals
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — a country

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