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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: press · stand · lie · bore · face · board · chest · pitcher

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chest — a box
  13. face — to confront
  14. chest — of your body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — to tire
  17. press — to push
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — a committee
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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