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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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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — all right
  7. press — to push
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. row — a line
  10. press — a publisher
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bound — obliged
  13. firm — a company
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. row — to paddle
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. firm — steady
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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