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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: sharp · net · drill · fan · stick · spring · press · firm

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — newspapers
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — decided
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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