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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: face · band · stem · mine · wax · stand · last · suit

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — final
  18. band — a ring
  19. mine — for digging
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — an explosive
  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