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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — for sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. degree — temperature
  15. court — of law
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tear — to rip
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — a thrill

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