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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: saw · rule · stand · wax · fall · field · jam · rash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stand — to bear
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rash — hasty
  14. field — farmland
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. rule — a law
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. field — a subject
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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