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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: game · rush · drill · rest · current · lie · foot · stem

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a match
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — happening now
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — of water
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — a break

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