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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — to bear
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — a committee
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — a flat piece

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