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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · wind · drill · rash · object · press

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — an aim
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. staff — employees
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — to protest
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — a series
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. wind — to turn a key

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