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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: key · chip · stand · drill · staff · hide · lash · present

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — a stick
  3. key — in music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — there
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. chip — to eat

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