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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: press · object · drill · track · cabinet · coach · tear · fall

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — to push
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a song
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. drill — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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