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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — a measure
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — a practice
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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