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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: last · stick · stand · calf · deal · drill · racket · tear

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — finally
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — a practice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. drill — army training
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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