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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: march · bore · pass · nail · press · spring · current · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. march — music
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hand — help
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — the season
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. current — of water
  18. press — newspapers
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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