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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: kid · wind · perch · drill · rest · cap · firm · race

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — a hat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kid — child
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — a company
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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