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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: racket · roll · tear · rest · key · pass · drill · trunk

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. roll — a list
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. drill — a practice
  24. roll — a cake

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