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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.

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: tube · spring · cap · press · face · nail · bank · ruler

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — to confront
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — to push
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — of ice
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — the underground

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