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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · mine · hide · firm · plane · press · cold · face

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cold — not warm
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — a company
  16. cold — an illness
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — the Cold War

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