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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: rush · press · drill · shower · hide · key · ground · branch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — newspapers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — rain
  20. press — to push
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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