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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 120 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: bank · swing · foot · fall · wax · firm · land · leaves

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — a company
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — ground

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