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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: drill · cabinet · current · sharp · deal · lash · press · land

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — happening now
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — of water
  15. land — ground
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — electric
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. drill — the tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — a country

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