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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 · object · lash · fine · pound · present · arm · press

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — all right
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. press — to push
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — to protest
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. object — a thing
  17. present — a gift
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — there
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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