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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: mug · cap · lie · land · suit · bound · nail · press

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. land — to come down
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — to rob
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — to push

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