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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: bore · fork · lie · fine · press · prune · trunk · chest

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — all right
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. press — to push
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chest — a box
  24. lie — to recline

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