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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · spell · coach · rash · face · press · stock · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — letters
  24. bore — gave birth

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