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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. scale — size or range
  10. face — to point toward
  11. scale — in music
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — a publisher
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a music group
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. can — a tin

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