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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: fall · squash · dip · key · patient · drill · stock · press

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — a practice
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — army training
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — to push
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — goods
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — newspapers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. key — in music
  24. fall — the season

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