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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: suit · roll · face · spell · can · file · squash · press

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — a cake
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — to fit
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — to push
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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