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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
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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: stand · temple · nail · press · lash · current · chest · field

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. field — for sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. field — farmland
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. press — a publisher
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. press — newspapers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — side of the head

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