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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — to push
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. march — music
  24. bass — the instrument

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