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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.

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 · cap · tube · kick · object · spring · press · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — newspapers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — in football
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spring — of water
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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