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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · key · nail · hide · face · rule · tube · court

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. face — part of the head
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — for sport
  10. press — to push
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. court — of law
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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