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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: lie · stand · drill · rest · hide · staff · foot · craft

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — army training
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — a break
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — boats
  24. drill — a practice

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