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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: mine · press · patient · kick · pop · drill · rash · foot

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — a measure
  19. press — to push
  20. kick — in football
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — a series
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — the tool

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