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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: present · press · bear · bay · firm · bore · nail · squash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to drill
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — a company

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