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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · hide · toast · bound · wax · degree · date · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. land — ground
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wax — to grow
  9. degree — an amount
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — a country
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — to come down
  18. toast — bread
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — for sculpting

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