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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wax — to grow
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. nail — for a hammer

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