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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. squash — the sport
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lean — thin

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