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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — part of the head
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — to confront
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lean — thin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — to bend

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