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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: bass · nail · bore · press · snap · safe · lie · stock

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to tire
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — goods
  24. safe — a strongbox

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