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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — to rip

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