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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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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: swing · racket · drill · kid · stand · last · tube · trunk

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kid — to tease
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. swing — to play on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — finally
  20. kid — child
  21. last — final
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — to go on

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