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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — in football
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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