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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: pound · rock · toast · mate · staff · cell · nail · press

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in biology
  14. toast — bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — to push
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. staff — employees
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — newspapers
  23. nail — on a finger
  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