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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: rash · key · face · fine · shower · season · present · press

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — in music
  4. face — to confront
  5. key — the most important part
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. present — there
  22. press — newspapers
  23. shower — rain
  24. season — of the year

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