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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: net · leaves · press · drill · nail · present · fall · kid

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — there
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fall — the season
  9. press — a publisher
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — for catching
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. press — newspapers

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