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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: pound · stand · wax · rash · fall · spring · cap · bowl

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a football final
  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