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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: fall · rush · roll · mug · foot · hand · drill · chair

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. drill — army training
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mug — a face
  16. fall — the season
  17. hand — help
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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