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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — newspapers
  9. object — a thing
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — happy
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — the amount
  24. wind — moving air

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