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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — music
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — to get on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. swing — in golf

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