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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 116 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: rest · press · mark · bay · drill · fan · squash · nail

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — a practice
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. press — to push
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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