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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kid — child
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — thin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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