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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — a practice
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — to push

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