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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: root · fan · bore · press · chest · present · mouse · face

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. face — to point toward
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — of a word
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. present — there
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — to push
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — the cause

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