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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 · stand · tear · trunk · chair · foot · board · race

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. race — humankind
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. foot — a measure
  9. race — a contest
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — from crying

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