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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: hand · wound · deal · bulb · press · mug · drill · hide

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — a cup
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hand — help
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hand — in cards

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