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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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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: wind · band · fork · mark · fan · pass · drill · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — army training
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a music group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. band — a rubber band

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