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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.

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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: tear · drill · pound · suit · press · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — a weight
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — newspapers
  16. suit — to fit
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — to hit hard

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