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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · saw · degree · nail · board · fall · chair · wax

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. degree — an amount
  4. saw — the tool
  5. degree — from a university
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — a committee
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. press — to push
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fall — the season
  24. press — newspapers

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