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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. degree — an amount

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