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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 · rest · lie · press · pop · foot · scale · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — newspapers
  5. face — to confront
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — a face

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