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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: bore · last · press · chest · racket · snap · mark · nail

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — to push
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — to go on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — finally
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. racket — a loud noise

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