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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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468
Word bank
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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 locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. dip — to sink
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — army training
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — newspapers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. charge — a price
  21. cell — in biology
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — the tool

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