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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: ground · present · drill · tear · stand · rush · rest · squash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. present — there
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — a position
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. present — the time now
  24. tear — from crying

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