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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: toast · fall · drill · hand · press · bulb · temple · board

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. toast — bread
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — the tool

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