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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: suit · ground · current · craft · squash · fall · stand · wax

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — clothes
  7. current — of water
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ground — a position

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