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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: rock · face · wave · press · arm · nail · bowl · stick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — to confront
  10. rock — a stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — a football final

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