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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: arm · current · bear · pound · mine · press · drill · plane

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mine — for digging
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. press — newspapers
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. press — a publisher
  16. current — electric
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — happening now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. arm — part of the body

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