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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 120 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: squash · scale · lean · fork · tube · drill · land · stand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lean — thin
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. drill — army training
  10. scale — in music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — the underground
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — a practice

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