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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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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: arm · pass · rest · ball · straw · drill · rock · mug

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. drill — army training
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — a straw man

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