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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 120 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: march · drill · craft · hide · stick · press · mark · land

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — army training
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — ground
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — music
  20. land — a country
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — to come down

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