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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. 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. wax — to grow
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. 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