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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: band · stand · chair · mark · drill · fall · rush · squash

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — army training
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — to bear
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  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