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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 120 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: cold · drill · bore · lie · rush · face · stand · chip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — an illness
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — to confront
  24. chip — to eat

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