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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.

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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: press · fine · swing · calf · face · temple · wake · stick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wake — a trail
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. face — to confront
  13. swing — music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — high quality
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — to point toward

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