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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: toast · cabinet · nail · hand · pound · sharp · race · press

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pound — a weight
  15. press — to push
  16. toast — bread
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. race — the arms race
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — a contest

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