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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 116 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 · tear · lean · press · spell · board · nail · rush

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. press — to push
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — magic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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