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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — government
  16. fine — high quality
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fine — all right
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — a law
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chest — a box
  24. drill — army training

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