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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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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. drill — army training
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — a country
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rock — music

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