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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: press · charge · race · tear · drill · dip · hide · deal

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — electricity
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to sink
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — humankind
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — a practice
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. charge — a price
  24. drill — the tool

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