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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: object · drill · press · bank · stick · hand · bulb · scale

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — of a river
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. object — a thing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  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