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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: cell · wax · field · lean · suit · firm · racket · nail

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. firm — decided
  23. field — a subject
  24. wax — in the ear

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