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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — a company
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — decided
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cell — in biology
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. swing — in golf
  21. press — newspapers
  22. swing — to play on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bank — of a river

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