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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cold — not warm

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