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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.

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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — a soup base

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