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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — to push
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — newspapers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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