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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. file — a line of people
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a document
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wax — in the ear

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