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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: bore · bay · fork · rush · face · present · press · field

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to confront
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. present — there
  12. field — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — to tire
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. face — part of the head

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