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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: leaves · face · nail · chest · season · press · lash · spell

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. press — a publisher
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chest — a box
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — to lash out

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