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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — a song

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