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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — a break
  15. press — to push
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. degree — from a university

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