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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.

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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: drill · rest · face · press · hide · wave · tear · file

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. press — to push
  9. file — a document
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — a break
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to point toward
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — from crying
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a line of people

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