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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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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: toast · roll · tube · craft · fan · press · key · drill

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — to push
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — in music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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