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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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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: bay · cell · chest · press · rest · bowl · saw · nail

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chest — a box
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — in biology
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cell — a phone
  24. saw — the tool

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