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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. march — the month
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mug — a face
  18. march — music
  19. object — an aim
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a cup

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