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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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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: rest · pitch · nail · object · chest · mine · press · safe

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chest — a box
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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