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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: race · drill · press · bay · fine · ruler · bulb · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fine — all right
  7. race — humankind
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kick — in football

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