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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 · rest · squash · file · trunk · foot · key · row

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — to crush
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a line
  14. file — a document
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — to paddle
  24. key — for a lock

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