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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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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: drill · chair · hand · rush · pop · current · stand · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — to bend
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — happening now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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