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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — thin
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — completely
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. arm — a part of something

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