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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: craft · stand · press · last · rest · race · drill · pound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — finally
  9. press — to push
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — a weight
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — to bear
  18. last — final
  19. press — newspapers
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — for spectators

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