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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: hand · object · last · firm · drill · march · toast · rash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — in cards
  9. drill — army training
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. toast — bread
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — help
  15. last — finally
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. last — to go on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — steady
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. last — final
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — a series

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