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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 · net · lash · stand · pit · key · rush

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — in a race

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