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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
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: drill · squash · deal · stand · rash · pound · plane · staff

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — to crush
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — a series
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. squash — the sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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