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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · march · wind · drill · lash · fan · bank · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — for money
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — newspapers
  19. march — the month
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — army training

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