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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.

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
468
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: press · drill · chair · ruler · leaves · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. drill — army training
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — newspapers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. press — a publisher

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