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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: wake · bound · club · press · lean · mate · ball · nail

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mate — to breed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — certain
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — obliged
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — on a finger

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