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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rash · drill · stand · swing · wake · cold · lie · can

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rash — hasty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — a series
  14. cold — an illness
  15. drill — the tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cold — the Cold War

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