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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — boats
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — the season
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — a stick

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