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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: leaves · stand · hand · field · nail · press · drill · saw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — in cards
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. field — for sport
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hand — help
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  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