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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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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. firm — decided
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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