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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: bowl · suit · staff · drill · stand · squash · kid · chest

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chest — a box
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kid — child
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. staff — a stick
  23. kid — to tease
  24. drill — army training

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