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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — a division
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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