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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: file · lash · chest · press · drill · saw · wind · object

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — a box
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. file — a document
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — to protest
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. press — to push

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