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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. firm — a company
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — music
  8. firm — steady
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — thin
  24. march — the month

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