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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
468
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: lean · stand · wax · season · file · club · chair · pass

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a tool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to bend
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wax — to grow
  10. season — in sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — for golf
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — a group
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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