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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. lean — thin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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