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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · leaves · hand · file · press · court · face · toast

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. court — of law
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — a publisher
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. face — to point toward
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. hand — help
  19. file — a document
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. toast — bread
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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