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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: game · drill · stand · roll · stem · fan · safe · press

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — a list
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. press — to push
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — to bear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. press — a publisher
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stem — to come from
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — out of danger
  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