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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: bass · mine · kick · press · drill · rush · mouse · stem

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — hurry
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — to push
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — to come from
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bass — the fish

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