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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: press · nail · ground · rush · drill · hand · squash · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — help
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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