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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: press · nail · clip · stem · fall · board · ruler · object

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — to get on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. clip — to cut
  20. press — to push
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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