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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: lie · rash · lean · stand · rush · nail · field · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. field — farmland
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. field — for sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. field — a subject
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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