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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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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: season · land · nail · wind · cabinet · toast · press · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — a country
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  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