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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: rash · drill · lie · straw · stem · field · rest · charge

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — electricity
  14. drill — a practice
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — a series
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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