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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: drill · mate · present · pass · rest · tube · rush · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. present — there
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — a container
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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