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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kid — child
  16. press — to push
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. face — to confront
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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