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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · wind · fork · wax · stand · deal

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — of ice
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road

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