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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: wound · bore · temple · safe · press · band · mark · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. band — a ring
  4. bore — to drill
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a music group

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