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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: cue · march · foot · wind · date · face · press · present

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — there
  4. march — the month
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — a measure
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — for pool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — to push
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to confront
  24. march — music

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