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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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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: drill · lean · coach · stand · current · saw · perch · bass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — army training

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