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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: scale · wake · temple · press · rock · drill · land · bear

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — to come down
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — a publisher
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. land — ground
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — music
  24. press — to push

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