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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 116 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: band · staff · drill · lie · bay · leaves · stick · current

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. current — of water
  3. drill — a practice
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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