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

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — thin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — a hole

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