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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: drill · rest · tube · rock · lash · press · content · fork

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rock — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — the underground

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