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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.

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: press · stick · saw · face · suit · coach · roll · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. roll — a list
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — newspapers
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — in cards
  24. roll — a cake

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