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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — the season
  4. stand — to bear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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