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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: ball · wax · hide · stand · cold · nail · rush · object

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ball — a dance

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