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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. season — of the year
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — of your body
  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