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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · tear · swing · object · present · rash · squash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. staff — a stick
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — there
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — army training
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — a gift
  24. tear — to rip

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