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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · kick · nail · craft · saw · stand · press · march

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — newspapers
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rash — a series

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