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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · rash · tear · stand · pass · lie · scale · board

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — a series
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a committee
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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