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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: bowl · chest · rock · press · drill · ball · row · cabinet

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a football final

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