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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 · stand · rash · tube · land · hand · mark · bore

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. land — to come down
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — a grade
  11. land — ground
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bore — to drill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — a trace

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