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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: band · bore · press · jam · chair · tube · ruler · drill

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — to push
  8. tube — a container
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. band — a ring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a leader
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — in traffic
  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