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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: mug · key · firm · cabinet · temple · press · nail · date

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — decided
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — in music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — steady
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — a company
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mug — to rob

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