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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — army training
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — to push
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — in cards

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