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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · hide · present · press · drill · ruler · staff · hand

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — help
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — to push
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — newspapers
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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