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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: tear · rest · stick · jam · foot · drill · mark · hand

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — a trace
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — army training
  14. hand — help
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. drill — a practice
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rest — a break

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