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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: pop · bay · stand · bear · chair · wax · lean · hide

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a horse colour

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