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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · press · racket · last · straw · pop · bowl

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — to drill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — soda
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — to visit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pop — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — newspapers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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