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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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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 · fine · rest · drill · staff · stand

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — humankind
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. staff — employees

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