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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 120 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: cold · pound · bay · drill · foot · current · lash · stand

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — happening now
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — a practice
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — not warm
  24. drill — the tool

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