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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wax — to grow
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. last — final
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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