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

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — shares
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — a soup base

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