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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 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — a series
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — shares
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stock — goods
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rash — hasty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cold — an illness

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