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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — a gift
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — there
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — a box
  16. rule — government
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — all right
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — for spectators

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