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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chair — a leader
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — happy
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. object — an aim
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — army training
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. press — to push
  24. object — a thing

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