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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. land — ground
  11. press — to push
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — a country
  22. court — for sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — of the sea

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