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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
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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: plane · nail · tear · press · game · key · board · mark

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — a match
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. game — wild animals
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — to push
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — in music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tear — to rip

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