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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.

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: wax · lie · march · band · chip · lean · drill · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. march — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. drill — army training
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wax — to grow

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