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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.

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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: craft · wax · rash · pop · bore · march · land · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — soda
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — ground
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — a country
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — gave birth

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