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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
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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: press · snap · cabinet · stand · pop · drill · ground · wound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — a position
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — to push
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — a publisher
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wound — an injury

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