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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: drill · tear · sharp · rock · chip · press · racket · lie

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rock — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — for betting

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