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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — army training
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — newspapers

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