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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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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: race · rock · drill · press · wound · trunk · kick · toast

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. race — humankind
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — newspapers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. toast — bread
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. race — a contest

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