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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — a short time
  4. object — to protest
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — a thing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. object — an aim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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