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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wax — to grow
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. mug — a face
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. file — a document

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