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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a rubber band

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