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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 · mark · bore · field · pass · foot · wound · drill

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — a subject
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — army training
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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