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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: wave · press · nail · tear · pop · face · spring · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — to push
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — the season
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spring — a coil
  24. face — to confront

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