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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · face · bear · prune · pitcher · bass · press · wake

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. face — to confront
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to point toward
  24. press — newspapers

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