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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 120 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: game · plane · mug · mine · rest · nail · rush · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rest — a break
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. press — to push
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — a tool

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