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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · press · vault · mine · bore · file · prune · face

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to drill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — to tire
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — the season

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