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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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 — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — there
  8. lie — to recline
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — a gift
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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