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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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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: trunk · press · fine · foot · tear · pass · tube · lie

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — high quality
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — the underground
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to succeed

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