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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. clip — for paper
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. suit — clothes
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chair — a leader

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