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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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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: object · stand · row · cell · lean · charge · wax · rest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. object — to protest
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — electricity
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — in control

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