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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: wind · wax · stock · bound · foot · stand · lean · pit

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — thin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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