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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · bear · ruler · scale · drill · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. 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. press — to push
  2. drill — army training
  3. scale — in music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. drill — a practice
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. 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