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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: press · rest · rock · board · staff · fall · nail · sharp

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — a break
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — a publisher
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — newspapers
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. press — to push
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — to get on

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