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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 124 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to confront
  7. spell — magic
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. band — a ring
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spell — a short time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — letters
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — for spectators

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