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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: lean · band · scale · stand · stick · rash · drill · staff

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. staff — a stick
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. band — a music group

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