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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: sharp · pitcher · press · lash · stem · roll · drill · file

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. roll — a list
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a line of people
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — a publisher
  23. file — a document
  24. pitcher — a jug

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