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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — army training
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — the tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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