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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: stand · mine · bowl · deal · date · lean · wax · cell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — to bend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stand — to bear
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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