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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: perch · stick · lean · staff · wax · stand · key · row

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — a line
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — a stick

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