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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: face · stick · row · mate · shower · press · chest · suit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — to point toward
  4. shower — to wash
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chest — a box
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — a line
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — part of the head
  16. row — to paddle
  17. chest — of your body
  18. shower — rain
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. press — to push
  24. face — to confront

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