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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · scale · wax · cold · track · bear · bat · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — a path
  4. object — a thing
  5. cold — not warm
  6. scale — in music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cold — an illness
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — a song

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