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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: leaves · drill · land · nail · net · roll · pass · press

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. net — after costs
  3. roll — a cake
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — to come down
  6. roll — a list
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. drill — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. land — a country
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — for catching
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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