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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 120 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 · bulb · chest · hand · prune · press · chip · pass

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hand — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hand — help
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. chip — to eat

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