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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 · file · saw · lie · spell · trunk · cap · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. press — to push
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a line of people
  24. spell — letters

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