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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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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: last · nail · chest · file · chair · snap · bear · press

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. press — to push
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. file — a line of people
  14. last — final
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — a professorship

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