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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: lean · cue · rash · charge · stand · bat · key · drill

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — thin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cue — for pool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — a hint
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — a price
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — in music

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