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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 120 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: straw · bore · current · tube · lie · fork · board · press

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — happening now
  5. press — to push
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — in a tire

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