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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: bowl · leaves · press · patient · bound · face · ground · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — to confront
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. press — to push
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — newspapers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — part of the head

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