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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: nail · hand · racket · object · face · current · wound · press

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. press — a publisher
  6. face — part of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — newspapers
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — to push
  24. current — electric

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