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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 120 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
468
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: firm · saw · swing · stick · press · nail · tube · scale

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — decided
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — a publisher
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tube — a container
  21. swing — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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