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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
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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: rash · press · date · stock · wax · march · drill · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. date — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — army training

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