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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 124 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a committee
  5. fork — in a road
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — to push
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — to get on

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