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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: press · sharp · wave · nail · lean · stem · lie · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — a publisher
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — to go on

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