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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chair — a leader
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — on a finger

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