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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: sharp · face · object · bore · bear · wound · press · cap

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. object — an aim
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bore — to drill

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