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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
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: rule · clip · wax · fan · drill · dip · press · pitch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — to push
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — completely
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — a video
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — a law
  18. clip — for paper
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — to cut

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