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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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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 · bowl · tear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — to bear
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — to grow

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