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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 120 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 · fine · kid · drill · bore · rush · press · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. press — newspapers
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — the season
  24. kid — child

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