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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — hurry

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