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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · last · object · cell · wax · stand · season · lie

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — a thing
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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