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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.

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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: stand · pass · chest · plane · lean · stick · file · drill

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lean — thin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. file — a document
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chest — a box
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lean — to rest against

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