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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. firm — a company
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — to push
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — final
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rule — government
  17. last — finally
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. last — to go on
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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