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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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