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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: cue · press · tear · fan · drill · bass · rush · suit

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. suit — in cards
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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