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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: face · safe · clip · bore · wake · press · tear · mark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. clip — for paper
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. press — a publisher
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tear — from crying
  14. clip — a video
  15. press — to push
  16. face — to confront
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tear — to rip
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a trace
  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