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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: lie · stand · drill · hide · band · chair · mark · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. drill — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — an untruth
  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