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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 · nail · board · race · wave · wax · rush · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. hand — in cards
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — to get on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. race — humankind
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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