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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — a thing
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — a garden tool

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