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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: drill · arm · stand · pass · bat · bulb · rash · swing

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — hasty

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