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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
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: press · mouse · tube · bore · wound · clip · ruler · saw

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — to push
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — to cut
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — a video
  24. ruler — for measuring

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