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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: press · tube · can · drill · straw · plane · leaves · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rock — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — army training
  6. tube — a container
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — the tool
  23. can — to be able to
  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