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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.

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: press · mine · nail · mark · cell · bat · board · saw

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. board — to get on
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — an explosive

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