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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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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: last · drill · suit · bank · rest · cabinet · chest · ground

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. last — to go on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. last — finally
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. last — final
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chest — a box

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