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

Word bank: temple · band · nail · row · press · hand · charge · firm

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. band — a music group
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. press — newspapers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — electricity
  23. row — to paddle
  24. charge — a price

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