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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.

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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 · press · lean · stick · mate · perch · face · drill

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — thin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a friend
  24. drill — a practice

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