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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — a series
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. game — a match
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — for spectators

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