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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 · wax · leaves · pit · lean · foot · mouse · key

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lean — to bend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — on your feet

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