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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.

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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 · press · race · firm · trunk · rush · chest · patient

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. race — a contest
  3. drill — army training
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. press — to push
  7. race — humankind
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — steady
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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