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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · bore · tube · face · press · ball · lie · fork

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a great time
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — to tire

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