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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: bound · racket · nail · can · season · straw · temple · press

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — in sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. press — to push
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — certain
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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