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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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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: rest · stand · press · wind · dip · firm · drill · rash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — a series
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — decided
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. press — a publisher
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — hasty
  13. press — newspapers
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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