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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: drill · pit · swing · stand · rest · staff · arm · tear

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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