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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: chair · wind · hide · stand · wax · ball · bound · arm

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — certain
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. arm — part of the body

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