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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — not warm
  4. shower — rain
  5. field — a subject
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — for sport

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