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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — ground
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pit — a hole
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — a country
  24. can — a tin

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