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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: suit · press · firm · nail · date · face · mug · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mug — a cup
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — the fruit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — steady
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — to point toward
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — to confront
  20. mug — a face
  21. lean — thin
  22. firm — a company
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. date — on the calendar

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