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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 116 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: fork · lie · press · ball · snap · nail · rest · pitcher

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to click
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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