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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 120 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: stand · wax · stick · suit · branch · face · bay · snap

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to click
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — to bear
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stand — for spectators

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