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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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Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. rest — a break
  2. tear — to rip
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — in music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. press — to push
  18. band — a ring
  19. drill — a practice
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — army training
  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