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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · charge · fan · bore · stand · stick · snap · hide

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — to keep secret

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