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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — goods
  3. press — to push
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stock — shares
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a music group
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. last — final
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a ring
  24. press — a publisher

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