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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 116 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: rule · stick · lie · stand · squash · ground · wax · fork

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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