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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: nail · bowl · hide · press · firm · snap · scale · file

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — size or range
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — to push
  22. file — a line of people
  23. firm — decided
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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