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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tube — a container
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — an aim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. band — a music group
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. squash — the sport

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