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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: foot · wind · stand · wax · mate · press · stem · swing

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — to come from
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wax — in the ear

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