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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — to rip
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a great time
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tear — from crying
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — in sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lean — thin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tear — from crying

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