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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a document
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — the time now
  23. cold — not warm
  24. date — on the calendar

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