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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.

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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: wave · stick · hide · press · club · plane · nail · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — to breed
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — to push
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — a publisher
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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